Our community has been desperately trying to communicate to the Parks Department that the status quo at McCarren Park Pool is not serving our neighborhood's needs and will require a change from the previous seasons.

The current configuration has been wrong since the opening of this facility, and we have been patiently waiting for four seasons now for Parks to operationally get up to speed.

In the past eight-plus months since our community formally submitted our request to city government channels, we have ascertained the following facts:

• The brand new $50 million McCarren Park Pool facility is not being operated up to its designed, “Olympic Pool,” potential.

• The Early Bird/Night Owl lap swim program at McCarren Park Pool is not operated to the same 50-meter standards of the other city outdoor pools.

• A documented passionate community effort has voiced these deficiencies, and they have been acknowledged by the Parks Department and City Council.

• A simple solution has been proposed that has no conflicts with any other interests or programs with negligible costs.

• The first and foremost priority of the department's mission called “Equity,” states, “All New Yorkers should have a fair share of the city’s resources and a voice in how they’re used. We’re including local communities in the decisions that affect their neighborhoods.”

We have offered the Parks Department an opportunity to make a change that will directly affect over 2,000 lives. We are bewildered by their response.

In eight-plus months, the department has failed to engage us in any meaningful dialog to our requests. We demand the city hear our voice and include our community in decisions that affect our neighborhood.

We are entitled to our fair share of the city’s resources. In this case, morning and evening extensions to the present lifeguard’s shifts that resemble the other NYC outdoor pools.

We are looking forward to the department making an effort to uphold the values and priorities of its stated mission.